This invention relates generally to construction materials and, more particularly, to a drywall panel having sets of indicia in linear arrangements and spaced apart at respective predetermined distances indicative of the location of wall supports using at least two relative measurement scales.
Drywall panels and other similar construction materials are often positioned and secured to a plurality of wall supports with nails or screws. Correctly positioning and directing the nails or screws through the panel and into the wall support studs is a significant challenge. In fact, finding a stud is often a trial and error process. Once a stud is found, the carpenter sometimes draws a straight line across the panel so as to indicate the position of the stud so that additional fasteners may be driven or screwed through the panel and into the stud. Once all of the drywall panels for a wall structure have been secured, drywall spackle or mud is spread over the seams and sanded smooth. It is another great challenge to apply and sand the seams without leaving raised or bulging seam lines.
Various construction materials have been proposed in the art for indicating stud positions. The existing materials, however, do not provide both vertical and horizontal indicia indicative of the position of wall supports having various spacing arrangements. Further, the existing construction materials do not provide perimeter configurations that assist in minimizing or eliminating raised or bulging seams between multiple panels.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a construction panel that provides both vertical and horizontal indicia that indicate the position of wall supports whether the construction material is situated horizontally or vertically and whether the wall supports are arranged 16 or 24 inches on center. Further, it is desirable to have a construction panel having perimeter configurations that minimize or eliminate raised mud seams between panels.